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Thursday, 16 May 2013

Google announces monthly subscription based Play Music: All Access

Google has introduced new Play Music All Access service for $10
monthly subscription. Along with that Google has also refreshed the Google Music app for the Android devices.

Google has officially announced the new monthly subscription based unlimited music access service through Play Music (part of Google Play store) called All Access.
As simple as it sounds, the All Access is a monthly subscription based music service that aides discovery of new songs-artists and provides unlimited access to the large library. Users can either create their own custom playlists or create a Radio Mix based on automated recommendations.

Google Play Music's All Access service was unveiled at the on-going Google I/O event in San Francisco, US. The new All Access service brings monthly subscription based model for the users to get unlimited access to millions of songs in Google Play Music library. When the user selects to play one song, the Play Music automatically recommends several other songs based on the songs selected, played, and uploaded.

The All Access service is offered at monthly subscription of $9.99 (Rs 550) but for those starting free trial before June 30 can get the subscription at $7.99 (Rs 440).

Along with access to millions of songs, the music can be played anytime through the new updated Google Music App for Android and also via the Google Play Music's web interface.

When the user wants to create an auto playlist, then an automated and customizable "radio" channel is created for the user with list of recommended songs. These recommendations are derived based on the songs uploaded, purchased, played, genre and popularity of the artists.

Users can create "Radio" stations/channels consisting of tracks from particular artists. This automated playlists and Radio stations will carry list of songs that can be re-organized and customized - i.e. some tracks can be deleted too.

Thus All Access allows creating radio without rules based on tracks already owned-uploaded by the user and the ones that exists in Play Music library. Initially, the Play Music: All Access subscription service will be accessible only for the US residents. Google plans to make this service available to other regions in phase wise manner.

The Google Play Music app also has been refreshed with a totally new and clean user interface as well as look. The Google Play Music app now resembles the web interface with Orange bar on the top and rest is white layout with shadows at the corners. The app brings slide-in menu from left that offers quick access to Listen Now, My Library, Playlists, Instant Mixes and Shop. Out of these options, the Shop option directly leads the user to the Google Play Music section in the Play Store app.

The Instant Mixes allows creating mixes based on the songs on the device and others available as free (for the users outside US). Playlists are automated playlist based on songs added and the ones created manually by the user. Over all App experience is very smooth and clean. The updated Google Play Music app can be downloaded from the Google Play Storestore

With the new Google Play Music: All Access service, Google has indirectly taken up the competition against Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and several other music services offered by Sony, Nokia and other handset makers.